Investigation questions Brown Foundation spending

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Federal investigators say they found several instances of questionable spending by a foundation dedicated to the landmark Brown v. Board of Education school desegregation case.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports (http://bit.ly/N6uRZg ) an investigation by the Office of Inspector General/U.S. Department of the Interior found unreasonable and unsupported spending by the Brown Foundation of Education Equity, Excellence and Research in Topeka.

The investigators said they could not do a complete review of the foundation’s spending because of poor financial management, missing documentation and commingling of funds.

An audit last May questioned nearly $621,000 in spending by the foundation.

Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of the lead plaintiff in the desegregation case, started the foundation. She has said the spending problems occurred before she became the superintendent.